Chapter II: Part 2

Dey met wid Bredder Tiger. Hanansi said, “Bredder Tiger, we get at’ yo’ nes’ an’ we tak yo’ pic’ny an wring dem neck t’row ’em in de bag.” Tiger say, “You mus’ be kill me pic’ny!” Anansi say, “No-o-o-o-o!” Tiger say, “T’row ’em out let me see dem!” Hanansi t’row out; dey didn’t dead. “Goat, t’row out yours now let me see!” Goat t’row dem out; de Goat’s was dead.

Tiger start after Goat. Hanansi say, “Run, Brer Tiger! run, Brer Goat!” Goat slip into a hole, Tiger begin to dig de hole. De stick get broke. Hanansi say, “Bredder Tiger, go look better stick.” Bredder Tiger went. Hanansi give de Goat some salt, say, “When Tiger come, blow dis in a eye!” Tiger come back, begin to dig. Hanansi say, “Bredder Tiger, dig an peep down in a hole!” Tiger begin dig an’ peep. Goat blow de salt in de Tiger eye. Tiger say, “Brer Hanansi, blow in dis fe me!” Hanansi blow, say, “Bredder Tiger, after eye-water sweet so, what t’ink upon de meat?” Hanansi an’ Goat come out an’ kill Tiger, den dey put Tiger in de bag wid de pic’ny, an’ bot’ of dem went home.

14. NEW NAMES.

Samuel Christie, St. Ann’s Bay.

There was four friends; one was Anansi, name of the other was Tiger, name of the other Tacoomah, name of the other Parrot. So they go for a journey, and Anansi bargain with them that the four mus’ change their name an’ when they come home, each one mus’ go to their mudder house an’ if their mudder call them the old name they mus’ eat their mudder. So the new name,—Anansi name was Che-che-bun-da, Parrot new name was Green-corn-ero, Tiger name was Yellow-prissenda, Tacoomah name was Tacoomah-vengeance,—the four new name. Any mudder call them the ol’ name, they mus’ eat the mudder.

So they come to Tacoomah house first. Anansi say Tacoomah name ‘Tacoomah-vengeance’. The mudder didn’t understand the new name, so she say, “Look me pickney Tacoomah come!” An’ kill Tacoomah mudder an’ eat her. Second, ’em go to Tiger mudder. Anansi say Tiger name ‘Yellow-prissenda’. So they fall upon Tiger mudder, eat her. So that night Anansi cry to excuse the night an’ go over to his mudder house an’ say, “Mudder, if you call me ‘Anansi’, dey will kill you! but de name ‘Che-che-bun-da’.” The next night they come to Parrot house. Anansi say Parrot name ‘Green-corn-ero’. Eat Parrot mudder the same. At night, again Anansi cry excuse an’ go to his mudder, say, “Mudder, las’ night wha’ me tell you say me name?” The mudder say, “Me pickney, you no name Anansi?” Anansi say, “Ma, coming here tomorrow night an’ if you call me so they kill you! You mus’ call me ‘Che-che-bun-da’!” Ask his mudder again, “Wha’ me tell you say yo’ pickney name?” She say, “Anansi?” Anansi say, “No, mudder! dey kill you! Me name Che-che-bun-da, Che-che-bun-da, Che-che-bun-da, Che-che-bun-da!” Keep tell the name over an’ over that the mudder no forget.

So the night now Anansi turn come and they come along singing,

“Anansi name a Che-che-bun-da,
Cherry-senda, Yellow-prissenda,
Parrot name a Green-corn-ero,
Cherry-senda, Yellow-prissenda,
Tiger name a Yellow-prissenda,
Cherry-senda, Yellow-prissenda,
Tacoomah name Tacoomah-vengeance,
Cherry-senda, Yellow-prissenda.”

An’ as Anansi mudder see Anansi coming an’ the rest, say, “Look me pickney Che-che-bun-da!” Call the new name, so her life save, an’ didn’t eat Anansi mudder. Anansi make the bargain to feast on the others an’ save his mudder!

15. LONG-SHIRT.

Moses Hendricks, Mandeville.

Anansi, Tacoomah and Tiger made a dance; Anansi was the fiddler, Tacoomah the drummer and Tiger the tambourine man. They travel on till they get to a country where all the people were naked—no clothing except the head-man, who wore a long shirt; he had a wooden leg. So they invite up all these people to come to the dance. Mr. Ram-goat was in the lot. So they start playing and the people start dancing, dance until they get so tired everybody fell asleep; and Anansi stole the head-man’s shirt—good shirt!—and put his own old one upon him while he was sleeping.

The man got awake, miss his shirt. Now this shirt could talk. The man call out, “Long-shirt, whe’ you deh?” Longshirt answer, “Brar Nansi have me on-o!” They start up, now. Anansi got so frightened! He met Brar Ram-goat. He said, “Brar Ram-goat, I swap me shirt, gi’ you one new one fe you ol’ one!” Ram-goat readily make the exchange. The head-man call out, “Long-shirt, whe’ you deh?” Long-shirt call out, “Bra’ Ram-goat have me on now-o!”

Ram-goat run until he was exhausted, couldn’t go any further. He dug a hole an’ bury himself into the hole leaving one horn outside and didn’t know that horn was projecting outside. The man with the wooden leg couldn’t go as fast as the rest. All the rest ran past Ram-goat; the head-man came along, buck the wooden leg upon the horn and he fell down. When he got up, he thought it was a stump, so he got out his knife to cut off that stump to prevent it throwing him down again. He cut an’ cut an’ cut till he saw blood. He call out to the rest, “Look! come now-o, dirtee have blood!” All the rest come around say, “Dig him out! dig him out! dig him out!” After they dug him out, they took off head-man long shirt, put on his own old one, and they wet him with all the dirty slops—they drench poor Ram-goat.

They thought he was dead and they leave him an’ go away. After they was gone, Ram-goat got up. He wring the dirty clothes, he wring with all the slop they throw on him; he never remember to wring his beard. Jack man dora! That’s the reason the goat have such an offensive smell until this day, he didn’t remember to wring his beard!

16. SHUT UP IN THE POT.

Simeon Falconer, Santa Cruz Mountains.

There was a very hard time, no food whatsoever could they get, so Anansi him family well fear. So when Bredder Tiger and Bredder Tacoomah go see him, he tell them for last three or four days his wife and children didn’t eat bread. Say they will go back home and send him some of ’em food, and the two go back from Nansi yard and just dodge him now and hear his wife call, “Heah! dinner ready!” And Bredder Tiger and Bredder Tacoomah go back to the house knock on the door. The wife open the door and Anansi go right out of the house—’shamed! The wife give them some of the food to eat and it was only fresh beef.

They come back to Bredder Anansi now and Nansi tell them say, “I will get the beef, but whatever I tell you to do, you mus’ be sure to do it.” An’ he put on a big pot of water on fire, an’ him, Nansi, get into the pot of water and gwine tell them shut him up in him pot. An’ tell them as soon as him knock the pot, open the pot. An’ him come out now, tell Bredder Tiger he mus’ get in the pot,—Tacoomah long side in the pot too. And shut them up, an’ he get a heavy weight an’ put it on the pot top. An’ he went right outside and tell him wife mus’ shove up the fire, mak the fire bigger an’ bigger. An’ when him come back, them was properly cooked. They gwine eat now, he was tuning up his fiddle—

“I got them now! I got them now!
Them think they got me, but I got them now!”

17. HOUSE IN THE AIR.

a. Tracking Anansi.

Simeon Falconer, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Anansi live into a tree with wife and children, then go about and robber the others and they can’t find where he live. So Tiger and Bredder Tacoomah dog him and see when he send down the rope and swing up whatever he provide for the family. So Bredder Tiger go to a tin-smith to give him a fine v’ice and went to the tree and him sing,

“Mama, mama, sen’ down rope,
Sen’ down rope, Brer Nansi deh groun’ a!”

Then the mother find out it was not Bredder Nansi from the coarseness of the v’ice. So he go to a gold-smith now, and he come back again and sing again. Now he get a v’ice same as Bredder Nansi.

“Mama, mama, sen’ down rope,
Sen’ down rope, Brer Nansi deh groun’ a!”

Then the mother let the rope down to receive him. Brer Nansi coming from a distance see the mother swinging him up in the tree now and say,

“Mama, cut de rope! mama, cut de rope!”

And she cut the rope and Bredder Tiger fell and broke his neck. Bredder Nansi tak him and have him now for him dinner. They couldn’t eat Bredder Nansi at all; him was the smartest one of all.

b. Rabbit and Children going up to Heaven.

William Saunders, Mandeville.

Once de Rabbit an’ chil’ren was going up to Heaven. Dey was singin’ dat dey goin’ up to Heaven t’-day, an’ Brar Anansi want to go along wid dem to have a feed. Having got in de merit dey sing,

“Mammy an’ Harry,
Pull up de merit, pull up de merit!”

An’ when Anansi quite away on de journey was goin’ up to heaven, he was singin’,

“Pull up de merit, pull up de merit!”

an’ de Rabbits say, “What is dat? Dat is Anansi voice!” De chil’ren say, “Yes, dat is Anansi voice.” Rabbits say,

“Mammy an’ Harry,
Cut down de merit, cut down de merit!”

an’ de merit cut down an’ from dat day poor Anansi’s waist was cut off, leave a little bit!

c. Duppy’s House in the Air.

Harold Tulloch, Queen Anne’s Bay.

Once Brer Duppy [12] make his house in de air. So he have a sling to sling down himself every morning, an’ as soon as he’ come down he say to de sling, “Go up, me chin-chin, go up!” So Bredder Nansi come to find out Duppy house, an’ he was wondering how to get up in dis house, so he dodge one side in de evening. An’ when Bredder Duppy come he said, “Come down, me chin-chin, come down!” an’ it came right down. He get in an’ said, “Go up, me chin-chin, go up!” an’ it go right up. By dis time Anansi was listening. Nex’ morning, as soon as Bredder Duppy move off about a mile, Bredder Nansi went right up an’ said, “Come down, me chin-chin, come down!” an’ it came down. Den Bredder Nansi get in it and said, “Go up, me chin-chin, go up!”

After he went up, he search de house an’ eat off all what he found in de house. He want to come down now, but he couldn’t remember de name. So he lay off dere until de duppy come catch him in de house. Brer Duppy said to him, “Lawd! Brer Anansi, what you doin’ up heah?” He said, “Brer Duppy, was jus’ goin’ up a-top heah to look fe me family, win’ ketch me on de way an I’ stop heah.” An’ Bredder Duppy tak some boiling water an’ t’row on him an’ he was dead.

d. Carencro’s [13] House with a Key.

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Kyan-crow got a house. De libber de key to de house. When him gwine out den ca’ out, “Libber me yum yum!” Ev’ry door shut up. Hanansi stan’ aside saw; when him gone, him go up said, “Libber me yum yum!” de door open. An’ get inside. As him go in he say, “Libber me yum yum!” de door shet. De fust t’ing him do, him eat de libber so den when Brar Kyan-crow come an’ ca’ out, “Libber me yum yum!” do’ kyan’t open. An’ say, “Somet’ing de matter a me house t’-day!” When den get little crebbice a de windah gwine in at de house, den didn’t see de key at all. Well, Hanansi run out, an’ him ketch Hanansi.

Hanansi say, “Brar Kyan-crow, you know you do? You no lob dance? I wi’ play fe you!” Kyan-crow say all right. Hanansi say, “But me banjo kyan’ play widout hot water.” When dey goin’ along hall, when de banjo playin’ “Ba cimba cimba,” Hanansi say, “All right, Brar Kyan-crow, turn back-way come.” He tak de packey, he dippy up full of de hot water an’ say, “All right, Brar Kyan-crow, dance come now!” As Kyan-crow come, he meet him wid de packey hot water. Kyan-crow tumble down. So from dat day every Kyan-crow got peel-head.

18. GOAT ON THE HILL-SIDE.

Julia Gentle, Santa Cruz Mountains.

The time hard. Anansi said to Tacoomah, “How going to manage wid de hard time?” So Tacoomah said, “You know we do? I will get me machete [14] an’ I go half shut de door, den I will say, ‘Police, I sick!’” Den, when people come, Tacoomah take de machete an’ chop dem, put dem in de barrel for de hungry time. Anansi say, “Brar Tacoomah, barrel nearly full?”—“No, Brar.” He cry out again how Tacoomah poorly; an’ de people come an’ as dey come, he kill dem put in barrel to serve in hungry time.

Den Goat up on de hill-side say he see everybody goin’ in, nobody come out; de house so little, how is it gwine to hold all doze people? So Goat come down now off de hill-side to see how Tacoomah. He peep in. Tacoomah say, “Come in!” an’ Goat run right back up hill-side. An’ from dat day, Goat stay up on hill-side.

19. DOG AND DOG-HEAD.

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Hanansi an’ Tacoomah dey goin’ out huntin’ to steal cow. De two of dem have der dog. Dey walk. Hanansi, hungry tak him; he eat de dog body an’ tak de dog-head put into his side-bag. Me’while dey gwine in de bush, Tacoomah dog tackle a cow. Hanansi run drive away Tacoomah dog an’ tak fe him dog-head fasten on de cow an’ call out to Tacoomah, “I tackle one fellah!”

Tacoomah know dat was fe him dog ketch de cow. Tacoomah lef’ him went away get one whip an’ go to clear place. He fire de whip an’ say, “A no me, sah! a pupa, sah!” Hanansi holla, “Brar, wha’ dat?” Tacoomah fire de whip again, say, “Don’ my dog ketch buckra cow, sah! a pupa dog ketch it!” Hanansi call out to Tacoomah, “Tacoomah, you fool! you ever hear so-so [15] dog-head kyan ketch cow?” So Hanansi run leave de cow; Tacoomah go an’ clean it up.

20. TACOOMAH’S CORN-PIECE.

Adolphus Iron, Claremont, St. Ann.

Tacoomah plant a piece of corn. When it commence to dry, den begin to t’ief it. Tacoomah charge Hanansi. Hanansi say, “Brar, no me!” By dis time Hanansi was a fiddler. Hanansi tell Tacoomah say, “Brar, you say me broke you’ corn, you mek one dance an’ get me fe play.” Tacoomah say yes. De night of de dance, Hanansi get one gang tell dem say, “As you hear me begin play, you start a-brekkin’.” De tune Hanansi play was dis fe de whole night:

“Two two grain, broke dem go ’long,
Eb’rybody broke, broke dem go ’long,
Green an’ dry, broke dem go ’long.”

In de morning when de dance finish, Tacoomah go down a him cornpiece. Him holla out, “Lawd! Brar Nansi, come heah! not one lef’.” Hanansi turn ’roun’ say, “T’ink you say a me a t’ief you corn. Las’ night you no get me fe play a you dance? den if dem broke out you corn, how you say a me?” Tacoomah tak it to heart an’ drop down dead.

21. ANANSI AND THE TAR-BABY.

a. The Escape from Tiger.

Richard Morgan, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Tiger got a groun’ plant some peas an’ get Hanansi to watch it. Me’while Hanansi are de watchman, himself stealin’ de peas. Tiger tar a ’tump, put on broad hat on de ’tump. Hanansi come an’ say, “Who are you in de groun’?” Him don hear no answer. He hol’ him. His han’ fasten. He hol’ him wid de odder han’. Dat han’ fasten. He said, “Aw right! you hol’ me two han’, I bet you I buck you!” He head fasten. Said, “I bet you, I kick you!” Him two feet fasten. Den he say, “Poor me bwoy! you a watchman an’ me a watchman!” So begin to sing,

“Mediany dead an’ gone.”

Nex’ mawnin’ Tiger come an’ say, “Why Brar Hanansi, a you been mashin’ me up?” [16] Tiger tak him out. Tiger said wha’ fe him do wid him now? Hanansi say, “What you fe do? Mak a fire, bu’n me.” Tiger go ’way, mak up him fire, ketch Hanansi go fe t’row him in de fire. Hanansi say, “Brer Tiger, you don’ know to burn somebody yet? You mus’ jump ober de fire t’ree time, den me a count.” Tiger jump one, an’ jump again, two, an’ jump again, t’ree, an’ go fe jump again. Hanansi kick down Tiger into de fire, den go back now go finish off de peas.

b. The Substitute.

George Parkes, Mandeville.

Tacoomah is Anansi friend an’ neighbor, live very near in one house but different apartment, so whenever one talk the other can hear. Anansi an’ Tacoomah both of them work groun’ together at one place. Anansi don’t wait upon his food till it is ripe, but dig out an’ eat it. Tacoomah wait until it fit to eat it. After Anansi eat off his own, he turn to Tacoomah an’ begin to t’ief it. Every morning Tacoomah go, he find his groun’ mashed up. He said, “Brar Nansi, tak care a no you deh mash up me groun’ a night-time!” Anansi said, “No-o, Brar, but if you t’ink dat a me deh t’ief a yo’ groun’ a night-time, you call me t’-night see if me no ’peak to you.”

Tacoomah went to his groun’ and get some tar an’ tar a ’tump an’ lef’ it in de center of de groun’. Now night come, Anansi get a gourd, fill it wid water, bore a hole underneat’ de gourd jus’ as much as de water can drop tip, tip, tip. He cut a banana-leaf an’ put it underneat’ de gourd so de water could drop on it. After dey bot’ went to bed, every now and again Tacoomah called out and Anansi say, “Eh!” Afterward Anansi say, “Me tired fe say ‘eh’, me wi’ say ‘tip’.” So Anansi put de gourd of water up on a stand wid de banana-leaf underneat’, so when Tacoomah say, “Anansi?” de water drop “tip.” An’ at dis time Anansi gone to de groun’.

He saw de black ’tump which Tacoomah tar an’ lef’ in de groun’. So Anansi open his right han’ an’ box de ’tump. His right han’ fasten. He said to de ’tump, “If you no let me go I box you wid de lef’ han’!” He box him wid de lef’, so bot’ han’ fasten now. He say now, “Den you hol’ me two han’? If you not le’ me go I kick you!” He then kick the ’tump an’ the right foot fasten first. He kick it with the lef’ foot an’ the lef’ foot fasten too. He say, “Now you hol’ me two han’ an’ me two foot! I gwine to buck you if you don’ le’ go me han’ an’ foot!” He den buck de ’tump an’ his whole body now fasten on de ’tump. He was deh for some minutes. He see Goat was passing. He said, “Brar Goat, you come heah see if you kyan’t more ’an we t’-day.” So Goat come. Anansi say, “Brar Goat, you buck him!” Goat buck de ’tump; Anansi head come off an’ Goat head fasten. He said, “Brar Goat, you kick him wid you two foot!” An’ Goat kick him an’ Anansi two han’ come off an’ Goat two foot fasten. He said, “Brar Goat, now you push him!” Goat push him, an’ Anansi two foot come off an’ Anansi free an’ Goat fasten. So Anansi go back home an’ say to Tacoomah, “Me tired fe say ‘tip’, now; me wi’ say ‘eh’.”

In de morning, bot’ of dem went to groun’. Anansi say, “Brar Tacoomah, look de fellah deh t’ief yo’ groun’, dat fe’ a Goat!” Goat say, “No, Brar Tacoomah, Anansi firs’ fasten on de ’tump heah an’ he ask me fe buck him off!” Anansi say, “A yaie, [17] sah!” an’ say, “Brar Tacoomah, no me an’ you sleep fe de whole night an’ ev’ry time yo’ call me, me ’peak to you?” Tacoomah say yes. He say Tacoomah, “Mak we ki’ de fallah Goat!” So dey kill Goat an’ carry him home go an’ eat him.

c. The Grave.

Stanley Jones, Claremont, St. Ann.

Once Mrs. Anansi had a large feed. She planted it with peas. Anansi was so lazy he would never do any work. He was afraid that they would give him none of the peas, so he pretended to be sick. After about nine days, he called his wife an’ children an’ bid them farewell, tell them that he was about to die, an’ he ask them this last request, that they bury him in the mids’ of the peas-walk, but firs’ they mus’ make a hole thru the head of the coffin an’ also in the grave so that he could watch the peas for them while he was lying there. An’ one thing more, he said, he would like them to put a pot and a little water there at the head of the grave to scare the thieves away. So he died and was buried.

All this time he was only pretending to be dead, an’ every night at twelve o’clock he creep out of the grave, pick a bundle of peas, boil it, and after having a good meal, go back in the grave to rest. Mistress Anansi was surprised to see all her peas being stolen. She could catch the thief no-how. One day her eldest son said to her, “Mother, I bet you it’s my father stealing those peas!” At that Mrs. Anansi got into a temper, said, “How could you expect your dead father to rob the peas!” Said, “Well, mother, I soon prove it to you.” He got some tar an’ he painted a stump at the head of the grave an’ he put a hat on it.

When Anansi came out to have his feast as usual, he saw this thing standing in the groun’. He said, “Good-evening, sir!” got no reply. Again he said, “Good-evening, sir!” an’ still no reply. “If you don’ speak to me I’ll kick you!” He raise his foot an’ kick the stump an’ the tar held it there like glue. “Let me go, let me go, sir, or I’ll knock you down with my right hand!” That hand stuck fast all the same. “If you don’ let me go, I’ll hit you with my lef’ hand!” That hand stick fas’ all the same. An’ he raise his lef’ foot an’ gave the stump a terrible blow. That foot stuck. Anansi was suspended in air an’ had to remain there till morning. Anansi was so ashamed that he climb up beneath the rafters an’ there he is to this day.

22. INSIDE THE COW.

George Parkes, Mandeville.

Anansi an’ Tacoomah while they were frien’s they had a quarrel, so it was an envy between both of them an’ they never speak. One day Anansi sen’ one of his chil’ over to Tacoomah’s yard fe some fire. Tacoomah give him the fire an’ some beef-fat. Anansi see the fat in the chil’ han’, said, “Whe’ yo’ get dat nasty t’ing from?” So the chil’ said, “Brar Tacoomah give it to me.”—“Mak a t’row it away, nasty t’ing!” The chil’ give it to him. He turn away from the chil’ an’ do so (like him fling it away), an’ put it in his mouth; he then out the fire an’ send back another chil’ fe more fire. She come with the fire an’ some more fat that Tacoomah give to her. Anansi said, “You carry back that nasty thing come here again? you give it to me here!” He turn his back an’ did same as he did on first occasion. He himself now go to Tacoomah yard, said, “Mawning, Brar Tacoomah.” Tacoomah said, “Mawning, Brar Nansi.” Anansi said, “A wha’ you get all the fat heah from, an’ yo’ won’t tell me mak me go get some too?” Tacoomah say, “I would tell you, but yo’ so craving you will go deh an’ go mak trouble.” Anansi said, “Oh, no, Brar! you t’ink if you tell me wha’ such good t’ings is, me wen’ deh go mak trouble?” Tacoomah say, “All right. Tomorrow four o’clock, when you hear cow-boy deh drive up cow a ribber-side, you come wake me an’ you an’ me go.”

Anansi scarcely sleep fo’ the night, only listening out fo’ cow-boy. While on the way Tacoomah said to Anansi, “When you go to de cow, you fe say, ‘Open, sesema, open’, an’ cow will open de belly; an’ when you go in you fe say, ‘Shet, sesema, shet’, an’ then you mus’ cut de fat out of de belly. But you mustn’t cut de back-string, fo’ if you cut it de cow will dead an you can’t get fe come out again. So after you done cut de fat, you mus say, ’Open, sesema, open’, an cow will open an’ you come out. You say, ‘Shet, sesema, shet’, an’ de cow will shet.”

So both of them go down. Anansi go to one cow, an’ Tacoomah go to one use the same word, “Open, sesema, open!” Anansi go in, say, “Shet, sesema, shet!” an’ the cow shet; an’ then he cut a whole basket of fat an, after the basket fill he said, “Open, sesema, open!” an’ cow open. He come out, say, “Shet, sesema, shet!” an’ cow shet. An’ both of them went home.

The nex’ morning, Anansi, as he hear the cow-boy, never call to Tacoomah at all. He run down to the river-side an’ go to a fat cow an’ said, “Open, sesema, open!” The cow open. He go in an’ said, “Shet, sesema, shet!” The cow shet. He begun to cut. Whilst cutting he cut the back-string. The cow now drop down dead.

The cow-boy went an’ tell the master an’ he order them to have it cleaned up. Anansi hide in the ma. The master give his darter the belly to go an’ wash at the river. She carry it in a bowl, dash it down in the water. Anansi then jump out an’ say to the girl, “Look! I in the river having a bathe an’ yo’ carry that nasty t’ing come an’ t’row on me!” The girl begun to fret an’ cry. Anansi say, “You got to carry me to your father mak him pay me for it!” She then tak Anansi to the father an’ Anansi say will tak a cow in payment.

Anansi said he not going to carry the cow come home so to give any of his family any, so he went into a t’ick wood, kill the cow, mak up a large fire an’ put it in to roast. He then started to look for ol’ yams in the bush. He saw two eyes in the earth. He said, “Lawd, from me bwoy bo’n is de firs’ me know say dirtee can hab yeye!” So now he start to dig out dese yeye, [18] dig up Bredder Dry-head. [19] He go fe put him down back in de eart’. Dry-head say, “No, jus’ carry me go where dat big smoke is yonder!” Anansi refuse to carry him. Dry-head said to him, “If yo’ don’ carry me, de whole of you’ body will catch fire!” Anansi start to run. His whole body begin to blaze, have to run back an’ tak up Dry-head. On reaching the fire, Dry-head order Anansi to bring the cow to him. Anansi with a sulky heart got to comply with Dry-head’, order. Dry-head start eating the cow an’ eat off every bit,—Anansi never taste it!

23. CUNNIE-MORE-THAN-FATHER.

George Parkes, Mandeville.

Anansi has seven children. He ask them how they would like to name. Six of them like different name, but one boy say he would like to name “Cunnie-mo’-than father.” So for every tack [20] Anansi put up, Cunnie-mo’n-father break it down. One time he work a groun’ very far away into the bush, an’ in going to that bush he pass a very broad flat rock. So one day a man give him a yam-plant; that yam name “yam foofoo.” [21] The same day plant the yam, it been bear a very big one same day. So nobody in the yard know the name of that yam save him, Anansi, alone. So when he go home, he cook the yam an’ call the wife an’ chil’ren aroun’ to eat, an’ say, “Who know name, nyam; who no know name, don’ nyam!” So as no one know the name, they didn’t get none of it; Anansi alone eat off that yam that night. The nex’ day go back to the groun’ and the yam bear a larger one. He bring it home an’ bile it again, call the wife an’ chil’ren an’ say, “Who know name, nyam; who no know name, don’ nyam!” The nex’ day he went back an’ the yam bear a larger one than the previous day. He cut it an’ carry it home, cook it, call up the wife an chil’ren; he alone eat it.

Cunnie-mo’n-father say, “Look here! I mus’ fin’ out the name of that yam!” He got some okra an’ went to the place where the broad rock is an’ mash up the okra an’ have the place quite slippery, an’ hide himself away in the bush near by. Anansi now coming with a larger yam this time. As he reach to the rock, he make a slide, fa’ down, an’ the yam smash. He said, “Lawd! all me yam foofoo mash up!” Cunnie-mo’-n-father now catch the name, an’ he ran home now an’ tell mother an’ other chil’ren, “Remember! yam foofoo!” Anansi then take up the pieces, put them together and carry home. He cook it an’ ca’ all of them roun’ to eat. He say, “Who know name, nyam; who no know name, no nyam.” They began to guess all sort of name; after that, whole of them say, “Yam foofoo! yam foofoo!” Anansi get vex, say, “Huh! eat! nobody fin’ it out but Cunnie-mo’n-father!”

Anansi then get to hate Cunnie-mo’n-father, want to make an end of him, but he didn’t know what way was to do it. So one night Brar Tiger came to pay a visit to Anansi at his house. While both of them sittin’ an’ talkin’, at that time Cunnie-mo’n-father was lying down underneath the table fawning sleep. [22] Anansi said to Tiger, “Look heah! ev’ry tack dat I put up, Cunnie-mo’-n-father break it down. I wan’ to mak an end of him, but I don’ know what way to do it.” That time, Cunnie-mo’-n-father listen. Tiger said, “I wi’ kill him fo’ you.” Anansi say, “How you will manage it?” So Tiger said to Anansi, “You mus’ put up a tack, an’ I wi’ ketch him.” Anansi said, “Look heah! Tomorrow night jus’ at dinner-time you come here hide yo’self in the pepper-tree; behin’ that fattest limb, you hide yo’self there, an’ I will sen’ him to pick some pepper an’ as he put his han’ on the pepper-tree, you mus’ hol’ him.” So the nex’ night at dinner-time Tiger went to hide himself there. Anansi call Cunnie-mo’n-father, say, “Go get pepper from the pepper-tree.” Cunnie-mo’n-father start for de pepper-tree. On his way going he call in the kitchen an’ take a fire-stick, an’ as he went to the pepper-tree, he shove the fire-stick right in Tiger face. Tiger cry out, “W’y-ee!” an’ gallop away. Cunnie-mo’n-father return to Anansi an’ say he hear something in the pepper-tree cry, so he don’ pick any. Anansi eat his dinner that night without pepper.

A few minutes after, Tiger come back in the house an’ tol’ Anansi what have taken place. Anansi say, “Well, the boy have tack! but we mus’ ketch him.” At that time the boy go under the table lay down an’ study for them again. Tiger say, “How mus’ we ketch him?” Anansi said, “You come here tomorrow twelve o’clock an’ I’ll sen’ him up on a cocoanut tree an’ while he in the tree, you wait underneath; when he come down you ketch him.” The nex’ morning, Cunnie-mo’n-father get two bags, fill it with red ants go up same cocoanut tree an’ hide it, preparing for Tiger. At twelve o’clock Tiger come to Anansi yard. Anansi call for Cunnie-mo’n-father an’ said, “Go an’ get me some cocoanuts off’n that tree.” He went, an’ Tiger lay wait under the tree for him. He shout to Tiger he mus’ look up an’ show him the bes’ cocoanut he want, an’ while Tiger do that, he open one of the bag an’ throw it down in Tiger face. Ant begun to bite him an’ he has to run away. Cunnie-mo’n-father slip right down off the cocoanut tree, so he didn’t get any cocoanut.

In the evening, Tiger went back to Anansi to tell him how Cunnie-mo’n-father do him again. While the two of them was talking an’ setting up another tack, Cunnie-mo’n-father was underneath table listening to them again. Anansi said, “The boy smart! but I goin’ to put you up a tack fo’ ketch him! Look heah! Tomorrow at twelve o’clock, you fin’ yo’self at me groun’ an’ you will see a fat root of yam near to a tree. You mus’ hide yo’self in the bush an’ I will sen’ him there to come cut yam, an’ as he come there, hol’ him.” Tiger then went an’ fix himself in the yam bush. At twelve o’clock Anansi call Cunnie-mo’n-father an’ sen’ him to groun’ to cut yam an’ tell him that very spot whe’ he is to dig them. Cunnie-mo’n-father went to the groun’ an’ shout out “Yam-o-e-e! yam-o-ee! yam-o-ee!” t’ree times. Nobody answer. Cunnie-mo’n-father say, “I t’ink father tell me say that when I come to groun’ call fo’ yam, yam wi’ speak, an’ de yam don’ speak!” Call again, “Yam-o-ee!” So Tiger answer him, “O-ee-e!” So Cunnie-mo’n-father say, “From me bwoy born, the firs’ I hear that yam can talk!” So run home back lef’ Tiger.

So Tiger leave the groun’ an’ come home an’ tell Anansi what happen. Anansi said, “Well, ’cunnie mo’ than me’ fe trew, but we goin’ to ketch him!” At that time Cunnie-mo’n-father underneath the table fe listen, an’ unfortunately he fell fas’ asleep. So Anansi an’ Tiger ketch him an’ make a coffin an’ put him in. Anansi tell Tiger he mus’ take him t’row him far away in the sea where he kyan’t come back again. Tiger lif’ up the coffin, put it on his head an’ start on the journey. On reaching to a bush he help down the coffin an’, as the sun was so hot, went underneath a tree an’ fall asleep. Now there was a little hole in the coffin, an’ looking thru that hole, Cunnie-mo’n-father saw an ol’ man comin’ along drivin’ a flock of sheep. He began to cry, sayin’ they want him to go to heaven an’ he don’ ready to go yet. The ol’ man said, “Bwoy, you too foolish! Heaven’s a good place an’ you don’ ready to go there yet? You open the coffin put me in!” The ol’ man open the coffin, Cunnie-mo’n-father come out, put in the ol’ man an’ nail up the coffin back with him in it. He then drove the sheep a little way up inside the bush. Tiger now wake out of his sleep, lif’ up the coffin an’ away he went to the sea with it, an’ go as far he could an’ t’row the coffin down in the sea drown the ol’ man, fe’ a heaven he want to go! He then go back to Anansi yard an’ tell him that he has finish with the fellow,—no more of him, fe’ he has drown’ him in the deepest part of the sea.

Later in the evening, while Anansi an’ Tiger was sitting down an’ talking about the badness of Cunnie-mo’n-father, Anansi look an’ see a flock of sheep was coming up to his house an’ some one driving it. The driver was Cunnie-mo’n-father. Anansi says to Tiger, “But now look at the bwoy what you drown’ to-day, look at him driving a flock of sheep coming up!” Tiger said, “No! ’cause I t’row him in the farthest part of the sea!” They waited until he drove them up to the yard. Tiger said to him, “Boy, don’t it was you I t’row into the sea to-day?” Cunnie-mo’n-father said, “Yes, the place whe’ you t’row me I get these sheep, an’ if you did t’row me a little further, I would get double more than this!” Anansi, hearing that, said that he would like to get some himself an’ Cunnie-mo’n-father mus’ carry him an’ t’row him at the part where he can get the sheep. Cunnie-mo’n-father then get a coffin make an’ put Anansi in it carry him to the sea-side, hire a boat, an’ carry him far far away in the sea an’ drown him. An’ that was the las’ of poor Anansi in that story.

24. THE DUCKANO TREE.

William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.

Deh was Anansi.—Tacoomah was Anansi son. Den was a hard time. Anansi had a Duckano tree had some Duckano on it. An’ he had t’ree pickney; when he go out a night, eat him belly full, come back carry ’em a bag. Now when him wife mak a little dinner fe him, tell him no, he don’ want it, gi’ it to pickney dem. Tacoomah tell mama cut little hole in Anansi trab’ling bag an’ t’row ashes in it. Fast as he go ’long, ashes drop straight to de Duckano tree. Den Tacoomah follow de ashes till him fin’ out de Duckano tree. An’ when him fetch to de Duckano tree, pick off all, lef’ one; an’ him tell de Duckano, “As Anansi come fe pick you, drop a dirt!” An’ as de Duckano drop a dirt, Anansi say, “Yes, dat de bes’ place I want you fe go!” Come down to pick him up, Duckano go back on tree. Anansi say, “Cho! dat de bes’ place I pick you t’-day”. Go back on tree, couldn’t catch it. An’ not a creature can pick de Duckano, but Tacoomah!

Den, as Anansi go up de Duckano tree, him see Dog a come. An’ said, “Brar Dog, go pick up Duckano fe me!” an’ as de Duckano drop, dog come pickee up; den, as Dog pick him up, Dog nyam de Duckano. Dog run ’round so, Anansi go after him so. Dog go into one deep hole, jus’ two eye look out a deh. Little out de two eye, Anansi pass an’ see him, draw him out of de hole an’ ’queeze out de Duckano. Wha’ mak de two sink place in Dog side, Anansi ’queeze out Duckano.

Jack man dora!

25. FOOD AND CUDGEL.

a. The Handsome Packey.

Moses Hendricks, Mandeville.

Once the times was very hard. So Anansi had a wife an’ six children dependent on him; wherever he goes he gets something, so he gets seven plantains, one apiece. His wife said to him, “Where is yours?” Said ’he mustn’t mind him; when they cook it, each one mus’ give him piece-piece. At the end he got more than anyone ’cause he got seven pieces.

He went out another day in search of food and he saw a calabash tree with one calabash on it, an’ he look at it an’ said, “My! there’s a han’some packey!” The packey say, “I han’some an’ I can do han’some work.” He said, “Do it let I see!” Packey put a table before him full of nice eatables; when he eat to his satisfaction, packey shut up everything.

He took the packey home with him an’ he shut it up in his loft over-head. Every day he hide from the family an’ go up there have his good feed an’ whatever little rubbish he bring in, he give it to them. His wife an’ children watch him an’ fin’ what he have. After he was gone out, they play the same game—“What a han’some packey!”—“I han’some an’ can do han’some work.”—“Do it let we see!”—They carelessly let the packey drop from them an’ crack. When Anansi go home, go to his feed, say, “What a han’some packey!” packey don’t give him any answer. He find that something was wrong.

Went out another day an’ saw another packey (which was the same packey), says, “There’s a han’some packey!” Packey said, “I han’some an’ can do han’some work.” He said, “Do it let I see!” Packey took out a cow-whip an’ give him a handsome flogging. He t’ought of having a good joke on the family an’ pick it an’ hung it up in the loft upon the same place. So the wife an’ chil’ren went to this packey again, expecting the same thing; so the wife said, “There’s a han’some packey!” Packey said, “I han’some an’ I can do han’some work!” The six chil’ren were around the packey. The wife said, “Do it let we see!” and the packey out with the cow-whip an’ fall in to lash them right an’ left. Some tumble down, some get into the shingle hide themselves all around in the crevice. Jack man dora! That’s the reason why you see Anansi live in the crevice!

b. The Knife and Fork.

William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.

Anansi was cutting a ground ’gainst a ribber-side an’ he had a hatchet an’ de hatchet get ’way from him into de sea. An’ him pull off him clo’es go dive fe de hatchet an’ in’tead of fin’ de hatchet him fin’ a knife an’ fo’k. An’ when him come home, he put knife an’ fo’k ’pon table an’ say, “Lay out, knife an’ fo’k, lay out!” An’ it lay out anyt’ing he ax fe. Well, den, him get a party, lots of people into de house to show dem what knife an’ fo’k can do. An’ after de people come into de house, he put dem knife an’ fo’k on de table an’ say, “Lay out, me knife an’ fo’k, lay out!” An’ all de people eat.

An’ ants mak nest ’pon de knife an’ fo’k now. Well, den, nex’ day mo’ning when he tak out knife an’ fo’k, say, “Lay out, me knife an’ fo’k!” not’ing at all come out. It spoil! Well, him go back to de ribber-side wid anudder hatchet an’ was chopping, fling away in de sea. An’ after him dive, dive an’ fin’ a horse-whip in de sea. An’ as he go home say, “Lay out, horse-whip, lay out mak a eat!” An’ de horse-whip lay out an’ flog him, wattle him well till he holla.

An’ he only sen’ back fe all doze people who eat wid de knife an’ fo’k, say he going to mak a great dinner an’ all de people mus’ come. An’ when de people dem come, he put dem into de house an’ tak out his chil’ren an’ wife, put a kitchen. An’ put de horse-whip on de table an’ lock up de windeh, say if do’ an windeh open can not get dinner. An’ he tell de horse-whip mus’ lay out mak dem eat. An’ de horse-whip flog dem all till dey break down de house.

Anansi is a man nobody can fool him—only Brar Dead!

26. THE RIDDLE.

Moses Hendricks, Mandeville.

Tacoomah and Anansi were great friends. Tacoomah got into trouble. He was tried and sentenced to be hung. Anansi said, “Brer Tacoomah, no fret! I’m a good liar; I play you off.” Anansi went to the king to beg for Tacoomah. The king said to him, “If you give me a puzzle that I can’t answer, I will let him off.”

Anansi went home. Tacoomah had a mare that was heavy with colt. He said, “Brer Tacoomah, if you do as I tell you, I can get you off.” Tacoomah said, “Brer Nansi, I will do anything to save me life!” Go for the mare—the one heavy with colt—open the mare’s stomach and took out the colt, then took a bit of the mare’s skin and cut out a bridle. Then Tacoomah got some fresh dirt and filled his hat and put it on, got some silver and put it into one boot and throw some gold into the other boot. Next, Tacoomah mount the colt. Anansi said, “Come now, Brer Tacoomah, go now and see king.” He told Tacoomah all that he was to say to the king when he met him; Anansi put him up to all the talk. They said to the king:

“Under the earth I stood,
Silver and gold was my tread,
I rode a thing that never was born,
An’ a bit of the dam I hold in me hand.”

The king couldn’t guess it; he said, “You must explain to my satisfaction.” And he said, “I have me hat full of dirt” (took off his hat and show him), “one boot with silver” (he was standing on silver), “the other boot with gold” (he was standing on gold also). He rode “a colt that was never born” (he cut that out of the mother’s belly), and “a bit of the dam” he held in his hand—that was the mare’s skin he had as a bridle. The king reprimanded him and said, “Go on, me good man, go about your business!”

Jack man dory! Anansi got him off, Anansi was a smart man!

27. ANANSI AND BROTHER DEAD.

a. Brother Dead’s Wife.

Grace Doran, Whitehall, Cock-pit country.

One day Anansi was walking an’ walk till he go into a wood and see a man have a barbecue [23]—plenty of meat. An’ him go an’ say, “Hi, Brar! how you do?” Man no ’peak. “Brar, you have plenty of meat an’ you want some one fe ’top wid you?” Man no ’peak. Say, “Brar, gi’ me little breakfas’ now?” Man no ’peak. Say, “Oh, Brar, you no talk, but me going to tak litt’e fe me breakfas’.” Man no ’peak. Nansi go up on barbecue say, “Brar say me mus’ tak meat.” No ’peak to him yet. Tak de meat an’ say, “Brar, gi’ me you pot?” Man no ’peak to him. Say, “Brar, mus’ put on yo’ pot go get meat.” Man no ’peak. Put on de pot an’ go on de barbecue fetch meat. When he cook done, tak him bag, load up, say, “Brar, me gwine now.” Man no ’peak. “To-morrow I come back see you, an’ I see you need servant an’ I going to bring one of me daughter.” No ’peak.

De nex’ day say, “Wife, I go in Dead country an’ buck up Brar Dead. Have plenty of meat. Gwine a carry me daughter down to country to work for him an’ cook for him.” Daughter name Sindy. When he go again, Dead sit down got him comb combing hair, long hair cover him face. Say, “Brar Dead, I promise bring a servant for you, but him hungry so me going to tak me eat.” Dead no ’peak. An’ tak de jug, put on pot, tak water, an’ go up on barbecue tak meat an’ him cook, say, “Brar Dead, I gwine, but I coming back to-morrow.” An’ go back say, “Enough meat dar, an’ Brar say come back to-morrow.” Nex’ day come back. Dead no say one word, got long bow an’ arrow in hand. Don’t see him daughter. Go up on barbecue an’ see him daughter finger have a ring. Say, “I mak you ’peak t’-day!” An’ tak Dead hair and tak one long pla’t tie heah, and tak one long pla’t tie deah, and tak two pla’t behind tie up on tree. An’ as him gwine away, pile up dry trash an’ light up de head wid fire. Dead shake head when de plat’ burn off; and shake again, de odder pla’t pop off; an’ tak up him bow an’ arrow an’ run after Anansi.

Run up to house an’ say, “Wife an’ pickney, go up alof’, Brar Dead dah come!” Brar Dead come in sit down so in de house wait ’pon dem. Pickney cry out, “Pupa, me hungry!” Say, “Brar Dead, open you han’, pickney a come!” Six pickney now, de las one come, say can’t do any more. Now Mrs. Anansi cry out, “Brar Dead, open yo’ han’, me a come!” Anansi drop now, drop in de dirt. From dat time you see Anansi live in de dirt.

b. Goat and Plantain.

Rennie Macfarlane, Mandeville.

Goat plant his plantain tree an’ when it begun to bear he go an’ look at it, an’ when he look at it he say it will soon fit. The nex’ day he go again an’ say, “It is fit; it will soon ripe!” An’ the nex’ day when he come to cut it, Br’er Nansi cut it an’ eat it. Br’er Goat said, “Baa-a-a, where’s me plantain?” He go to Anansi house an’ Anansi an’ his wife an’ two children run up in house-top. Br’er Goat wait down below. Anansi daughter said she was tired, wanted to drop on the groun’ an’ she drop an’ Goat cut her up an’ put her in his tread-bag, an’ he said, “Baa-a-a, here’s me plantain!” Anansi son say he wanted to drop an’ he drop. An’ Br’er Goat cut him up an’ put him in his tread-bag, an’ he said, “Baa-a-a, here’s me plantain!” An’ Anansi wife say, “I want to drop!” an’ she drop an’ Goat cut her up an’ put her in the tread-bag, an’ said, “Baa-a-a, here’s me plantain!”

An’ Br’er Anansi said, “As I’m so fat, sprinkle some ashes on the groun’ an’ when I drop I won’t mash.” An’ Br’er Goat sprinkle it on the groun’ an’ Anansi drop an’ the ashes fly up in Goat face an’ blind him. An’ Br’er Nansi keep the plantain-tree for himself an’ when it bear, he eat it.

28. BROTHER DEAD AND THE BRINDLE PUPPY.

Charles Roe, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.

Deh was an Ol’ Witch call Brar Dead, never talk to nobody; if him talk to anybody, him be dead. But him only making some bow all day an’ set it to catch all wil’ animal, an’ when he catch dem, he put dem over fire an’ dry dem, but him no eat dem. So Mr. Anansi go deh one day an’ say, “Brar Dead, gi’ me some of you meat now.” But he never ’peak to Mr. Anansi, for him can’t talk to nobody. So Anansi goin’ in an’ tak a whole bagful of de dry meat an start to eat it.

So Brar Dead has a brindle puppy. So Brar Dead pick some green bush an’ gi’ to de brindle puppy. So Mr. Anansi going to mak him talk dat day now. So when him come out an’ tell little dog say when him sing an’ people drop dead, puppy mus’ t’row de bush on dem, because first day him gwine hear him voice. So him tak one de a arrow now an’ start, an’ de dog mus’ follow him now. So when he stick him lance, blood don’ come; Anansi don’ walk dere. So go on; so when he stick at odder cross-road, blood come an’ he say dere Anansi walk. So when he sing, Anansi got to stop. He sing,

“Anansi ma shway, Anansi ma shway,
A pupa yan kin baw, eh, eh, wa-eh!
A yan kin baw yeh, ke ya ma-dee,
Eh, eh, wa-eh, eh, wa-eh!
Eh, ey-eh wa-ey-eh!”

So he goin’ till he ketch Anansi, an’ when he see Anansi, tell de little puppy say mus’ ketch Anansi. So de puppy ketch him, an’ when he ketch him, poke de bow t’ru Anansi two ears an’ he buil’ up a fire an’ burn up Anansi to dust.

29. THE COWITCH AND MR. FOOLMAN.

Moses Hendricks, Mandeville.

A gentleman had a cowitch [24] property. He wanted to have it cut down, but whoever cut it must not scratch their skin. Anyone who cut it down without scratching, he would give the pick of the best cow on his property. Many tried, but failed. Anansi says that he will cut it down. So the gentleman sent his son to watch and see that he cut the tree without scratching his skin at all. Anansi began cutting and the juice of the tree began to eat him. He wanted to scratch. He said to the boy, “Young massa, de cow yo’ papa goin’ to gi’ me, white here (scratches one side), black here (scratches the other), had a red here, had anodder black here, blue jus’ down at his feet.” He went on that way until he cut down the tree.